The View from Moscow

With Russia and the U.S. currently having 1,700 nuclear weapons pointed at each other on hair trigger alert, our relationship with Russia is one of the most critical, requiring a rational policy. But in order to conduct a rational foreign policy, we must understand the other country's point of view and what has shaped it - including it's history, culture and geography. That doesn't mean one must agree with Russia, but we must know how Russia perceives its own interests so we can determine what they may be willing to risk or sacrifice on behalf of those perceived interests and where there might be areas of cooperation. The American media generally has a very poor track record in providing this crucial service with respect to many of the nations with whom we've already gone to war. The so-called experts they consult often have conflicts of interest, nefarious agendas, and lack an objective understanding of the nation they are speaking about. This has certainly been the case when it comes to reporting on Russia, a country with which the stakes are potentially much higher. This book is an antidote to the malpractice of much of the American media when it comes to understanding the Russian point of view and formulating a reasoned policy toward the world's other nuclear superpower.